Bunch scraps New Year tasting

Published: 23 July, 2008

The Bunch, the group of independent wine merchants formed in the early 1990s, has decided to scrap its traditional January tasting, instead moving it to the autumn.
Alun Griffiths MW, MD of Berry Bros & Rudd (BBR) and chairman of The Bunch, said: When The Bunch was set up, the members decided to ensure that their press tasting was the first such tasting of the year, starting the year off in style. At that time, there were no Burgundy en primeur tastings to compete with it.

It is not easy to move the Burgundy tastings, and this year it has proved impossible for some journalists to attend all the tastings arranged. The Bunch therefore feels it is prudent to move the date of its own press tasting, with the date of 13 September subject to confirmation. The tastings diary is not quite so full at that time, although we shall obviously seek to avoid a clash with the Wines of Chile generic tasting.'

Robert Boutflower, private sales director at Tanners, added: The feeling around the table was that we'd like to look at the autumn period for the tasting, to fire people up going into Christmas. We have plans for an autumn tasting this year, and that was the general consensus.'

BBR has won a contract from Virgin Atlantic to be the airline's exclusive supplier of wine and Champagne in Upper Class, Premium Economy and Economy. In Upper Class, passengers will have a choice of three reds, including 2002 Chteau Lucas, Lussac-St-Emilion, three whites, one Champagne and a Prosecco.

Mark Pardoe MW, BBR's commercial director, said: Although Berry Bros & Rudd has 300 years of history and tradition and Virgin Atlantic has just celebrated its 21st birthday, both companies share a common outlook: to offer a choice to the customer, based on innovation, high standards of service

and expertise, and, above all, a certain lan that we believe sets us both apart from the competition.'

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